Gun violence has become an epidemic in the United States. In 2010, there were more than 11,000 gun-related homicide deaths in the United States. Some of the notorious gun-related massacres happened in 1999 at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colo., in 2007 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., in 2012 at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., and in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The United States government is engaging in ongoing discussions to determine ways to combat gun violence. Some safety proposals include placing armed guards at every school despite the fact that armed guards were present during the Columbine High School massacre.
Currently, there are multiple types of safety devices placed in schools and other public venues. These devices are routinely manual fire alarm pull stations, water or gas fire extinguishers, portable cardiac defibrillators, or first aid kits. Manual fire alarm pull stations are the only universally present alarm system where a public patron can actively notify authorities immediately; however, in case of an intruder, the wrong authorities (fire) are notified, and police are not notified of the impending danger from an armed intruder. Even though firearms are pervasive, there is currently no alarm system in commercial buildings that the public can activate in order to immediately notify police an intruder with a firearm is present. None of the current safety devices are designed specifically for when an armed intruder is present and could provide a lethal or non-lethal self-defense mechanism for the patron, to alert all of the occupants within an establishment, and to notify police of the armed intruder.
The need to secure personal firearms has led to the development of many safeguard products including locking gun racks, gun safes and cases, and alarmed firearm enclosures. Most of these conventional products are designed to make personal firearm ownership safer within a residence. In one conventional attempt, a deterrent gas is dispensed when inappropriate access to the inner contents occurs.